When Opposites Attract
by Sketchling
Summary: She was always so cold, it seemed, while he was always so warm. Like ice and fire. 'Well,' she thought 'They say opposites attract, so what the hell? Why not' -ROYAI FLUFF- minor spoilers, set after manga


** A/N: **Did this on a whim :P This fanfic, like the last one-shot I wrote, is also set some time after the manga. I don't believe in the mythical creature known as Roy's so-called mustache, so I didn't put it in here (seriously, Arakawa, what the hell was _that_?).

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA.

_**When Opposites Attract**_

"Oh my gosh!"

Riza turned in the hallway of Central HQ to see Rebecca standing behind her. Her friend's mouth was open and her dark eyes were wide in shock. The blonde lieutenant let out a huff. _'This better be important. I have to get these papers to the Colonel.' _"What is it, Rebecca?"

"Your hair!"

Riza sighed. Obviously, this conversation was going nowhere. "Yes," she replied, subconsciously brushing a loose strand of hair from her face "What about it?"

"It's so short!" The dark-haired woman exclaimed.

Lt. Hawkeye blinked her amber eyes. She hadn't noticed anything new with her hair because she'd gotten it cut on a day off a few days earlier, when she had the day off. She'd had to get her wound re-stitched (it opened up when she was stretching). And then after that was the weekend. Today was her first day back at work with it short.

When Riza didn't respond, Rebecca continued on. "Why'd you cut it? Wait, I know! You broke up with him!"

"I wasn't dating anyone, Becca. We've gone over this enough."

A smirk crept onto the Second Lieutenant's lips. "Are you sure? Because the change was so sudden I could've sworn you were doing it for a man."

Another eye roll and an annoyed sigh. "Really, Becca, I wasn't dating anyone. I just grew my hair out because I never bothered to get it cut. And I thought I'd try out the look."

Rebecca shrugged, the smirk still plastered on her face. "Whatever you say," she replied in a sing-song voice. "Just don't retire without me! I _still _haven't found a man."

"What about Lt. Havoc?"

"The walking cancer stick? No thanks." She wrinkled her nose, as if she'd caught a whiff of the man's cigarette smoke.

"I don't know," Riza said "I think you two would be good for each other. Personality wise. You already fight like a—"

"Don't say it!" Rebecca snapped "I've already heard it enough from that Mustang idiot. I don't need to hear from you, too."

Riza smiled at her friend. "Whatever you say," she replied, mocking Rebecca's sing-song voice.

The dark-haired woman pushed Riza playfully before walking back down the hall she came from. Hawkeye watched her friend go until she disappeared behind the corner. Once she was gone, Riza started walking back down the hall, thinking about what had just happened.

'_Me, dating? Ridiculous,' _she thought, scoffing at the idea. She really couldn't see herself dating anyone, much less succumbing to the person's wishes and growing out her hair for them.

Adjusting the papers in her arms, she skillfully popped the office door open with her foot. She'd been doing this for some few years now—it was something you were practically required to learn, what with all the papers the Colonel got buried in. She chuckled inwardly. They _should_ make it a requirement on the papers you were required to fill out to enter the military.

Mustang sat at his desk, head rested on his desk. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady.

'_Typical,' _Riza thought, narrowing her eyes at the man _'He decides to fall asleep when I'm gone.'_

A distressed sigh passed his lips and he furrowed his brow, startling her. Riza set the papers down on Fuery's vacant desk and quietly shut the door behind her before walking over to her superior's side.

It was up-close that she noticed the sweat glistening on his forehead and the slight tremble in his shoulders. She frowned and instinctively reached over to brush the raven-black bangs out of his face, which were damp due to the sweat.

The moment she touched his forehead, his eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist, instinctively putting her arm in a position that made her gasp at the spiking pain. He would be able to break it if he twisted it.

"Sir!" she gasped "It's me!"

Riza looked into her superior's onyx eyes pleadingly. They looked wild and cold beyond belief, but the look was slowly replaced with recognition, then confusion, and then guilt.

"H-Hawkeye…" He swallowed hard, his voice choked with emotion. She wondered momentarily if he was going to cry, and if she was even prepared for that. Mustang's steel grip on her wrist loosened until it slowly slipped from his hand and hit her thigh.

"Are you alright, sir?" she asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine," He turned to her, guilt blazing in his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Riza nodded, her heart still pounding in her chest. "It's alright, sir," She paused, her gaze softening. "You can't help it."

The unspoken sentence that should have been said after that floated in the air. _'Neither can I.'_

It was true. Though the Ishballan war had long since ended, it still raged on in their dreams. Though Riza was well aware that his nightmares were far worse than her own, it didn't comfort her any and she dreaded going to bed at night. She could only imagine how awful it must be for him.

She stood by his side, and although there was a foot of empty space between them (as there normally was), for them it felt as though they were practically wrapped in each other's warm embrace.

"Why'd you cut it?"

"Huh?" she asked. His question had caught her off guard.

"Your hair," he said, gesturing to it with a hand "It's short."

"Oh," she sighed "That. I just thought I'd cut it. It always got in my way. Besides, I felt like this is a new beginning somehow."

Mustang nodded in understanding and stood in front of her. His onyx eyes never strayed from her caramel ones as he reached out and grasped her hand, the one he'd hurt earlier. Riza didn't flinch or move away. She was too busy drowning in those dark pools.

His warm touch was foreign to her cold, calloused skin. Not that she minded. She was always so cold, it seemed, while he was always so warm. Like ice and fire. _'Well,' _she thought _'They say opposites attract, so what the hell? Why not?'_

He leaned forward, and his warm breath on her ear sent chills down her spine. "You looked pretty with long hair. I hope you grow it out again."

And just like that, as suddenly as the moment had started, it ended and he released her. She felt colder than ever.

Riza's throat was dry, and she had trouble finding her voice. But once she did, "Your paperwork is on Fuery's desk, sir." It came out quiet and shy, like some love-struck school girl. Riza huffed. Yeah, _right._

But that day, as she sat down at her desk and began to work, she decided that she would grow her hair out. Mustang said she'd looked pretty with it long, after all. _'Not that that matters,' _she told herself quickly _'I was going to grow it out anyways.' _

She could almost see Rebecca's smirk now.

_**~Owari~**_

**A/N: **Please review! I really don't care if you flame this time, just because it's freezing here and the heat could do me good. I need something to heat up my apple cider, too.

I'll most likely be posting chapter six of Author Meets FMA on Saturday or Sunday. Just thought you'd all like to know! ~Sketch


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